Lithuanian duet leads Barsy to victory

PANEVEZYS ‒ Gytis Sirutavicius and Edgaras Zelionis scored two clutch baskets for Barsy, as the Kazakh side snatched an 82-81 victory in Panevezys against the struggling Lietkabelis.

The visitors from Atyrau are now 4-6 in Group B, while the Lithuanians have won only once in eight games, but still have hopes of reaching the quarterfinals.

Lietkabelis started the game strong, going on a 6-0 run right from the tip-off and keeping the lead for the majority of the first quarter, but Barsy weren’t too far behind.

Having scored six points in a row in the beginning of the second quarter, the Kazakhs took a 37-32 advantage, increasing it to 46-36 after a pair of buckets by Dmitriy Gavrilov.

However, Lietkabelis snuck ahead by a single point just before halftime with an 11-0 run, heading into the locker rooms with a 47-46 advantage.

Behind great play from big man Ryan Olander, the hosts led by as many as seven points in the third quarter, but Barsy raced back from behind to tie it at 66-66 after 30 minutes of play.

The visitors had the upper hand for most of the third quarter, but Lietkabelis’ newcomer Goran Vrbanc drained a three-pointer and Mantas Virbalas added two more points for an 81-77 advantage with 1:26 left to play.

However, it was Barsy, who had the last word in the game ‒ Gytis Sirutavicius made it a one-point game with a triple in the next possession, while Edgaras Zelionis made the game-winning basket with 16 seconds left.

For Lietkabelis, Ryan Olander had 25 points, but grabbed only two rebounds in 33 minutes, while talented guard Jokubas Gintvainis flirted with a double-double finishing the game with 13 points and seven assists.